Category Archives: Qualification

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There is a misconception in our industry that the qualification of welders, and welding procedures for that matter, needs to be done by a certified welding inspector (CWI) or a welding engineer. Or that it has to be done by a third party. Although this may be the case if specified in contract documents, more […]

The purpose of welder performance qualifications is to ensure that the welder can deposit sound welds. There are several tests, both destructive and nondestructive, that are used to evaluate a welder’s ability to deposit good welds. Below are four of the most common test applied for these qualifications: Visual Inspection (VT) Visual inspection is […]

If you work with AWS D1.1 you are probably familiar with the use of prequalified welding procedures. The use of prequalified WPSs provides many benefits to the fabricator, one of which is costs savings due being exempt from having to perform costly testing to qualify the welding procedure. However, if you are looking to save […]

Measuring fillet weld legs is meaningless, well… not really. Fillet weld leg sizes are very important, but simply measuring the leg of a fillet weld does not tell us if we actually achieved the desired throat dimension. The strength of a fillet weld is determined by its effective throat. As you can see in the […]

Not having a good system to keep track of qualification documents can cost you a lot of money

Keeping track of welding procedure specifications (WPSs), procedure qualification records (PQRs) and performance qualification records (WPQRs) can become a tedious task. A simple WPS and PQR may not seem like much, but a medium to large contract may require you to qualify 5-10 welding procedures procedures along with 15-20 welders. If this is the case […]

The purpose of having welding procedures specifications (WPS) is to ensure quality. This is accomplished by giving the welder a detailed set of instruction on how to deposit weld metal for a specific joint. Consistent quality can be achieved, but there is one caveat. The welding procedures must be well written. A poorly written welding […]

If you have worked with the American Welding Society codes, you have probably heard about Standard Welding Procedures Specifications (SWPSs). A SWPS is define by AWS as a welding procedure specification qualified according to the requirements of AWS B2.1/B2.1M, approved by AWS, and made available for production welding by companies or individuals other than those […]

One of the most common requests for help that we get pertains to the qualification of welders. Our customers win a contract and later find out they need to qualify their welders. Often, they realize this right before production is to begin and scramble to get their qualifications done. Even worse, they may also need […]

For high-quality macro-etches

The qualification of welders and welding procedures often involves macro-examination of welds. Performing macro-etches is a relatively simple procedure, but strict guidelines must be followed to ensure safety. Most chemicals used in etching solutions are hazardous and must be handled accordingly. Any person etching with these chemicals must be familiarize him or herself with the […]

Preheat is used when a base material, due to its chemical composition, thickness or level or restraint, is susceptible to cold cracking. Knowing what temperature to preheat your base metal is sometimes a complicated matter. You may hear people say “preheat to 300F to be safe.” The reality is that 300F may be playing it […]